I am still determining who decided today is the day for Hollywood comebacks, but here we are. The word is out that Aziz Ansari is making his feature directorial debut with Good Fortune, a new film he’s developing for Lionsgate. In addition to directing the movie, Ansari will also star alongside Seth Rogen (Superbad, The Fabelmans) and Keanu Reeves (John Wick, Always Be My Maybe). The plot remains a mystery. Still, reports indicate the package is being shopped at Cannes next month. Meanwhile, cameras kick into gear on the project in May.
“We have indeed found good fortune with this film. We love the script and believe strongly in Aziz as both a performer and a director. And when you add in Seth and Keanu – two incredible world-class talents — toplining alongside Aziz, this has the potential to be a very special film for us. We moved quickly to land this project once it was available,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Chair Joe Drake.
Anthony Katagas, Alan Yang, and Ansari produce, with Brady Fujikawa and Jon Humphrey overseeing at Lionsgate.
Ansari is an award-winning filmmaker, thanks to his Netflix drama series Master of None. Ansari received seven Emmy nominations for the series, winning two for writing. Ansari created Master of None with Alan Yang.
In early 2018, Ansari was accused of sexual misconduct by an unnamed 23-year-old Brooklyn resident. In her statement, the woman said Ansari acted aggressively and pressured her during a sexual encounter on a date.
“There’s times I felt scared. There’s times I felt humiliated. There’s times I felt embarrassed,” Ansari said during a Netflix special that aired after the incident went public. Ansari says he responded privately but took her words to heart. Ansari has stayed out of the spotlight since while quietly planning a comeback. He previously tried to get his Being Mortal film off the ground at Searchlight, but production got suspended when Bill Murray was accused of inappropriate behavior.
With Rogen and Reeves’ involvement, Good Fortune will likely have better luck than Ansari’s previous project. We’ll give you more details about this promising project once Cannes begins.